I have been having issues, from time to time where I feel like my forearm muscles,the most frequently used ones in climbing, feel as if they are bulging o are two large for my tendons or arms to hold in and it sorta limits my climbing. I don't know too much about the connection with tendons and muscles but;

Is this something I can prevent?

Is it just something I'm overthinking and part of the training and growing of muscle part of climbing?

these two things arent independent but muscle growth can be limited while increasing your strength.

Size largely relies on having a high nutrient intake while working exercises at high volume (e.g. lots of moderately intense exercise). This usually leads to a "pump" by causing your body to load water into the muscles.

Strength can be achieved through low repetitions and heavy/intense loads. This helps inhibit your nervous system's natural strength blocking abilities, making you stronger by telling your body that you're stronger. It also helps increase the number of protein filaments in muscles, making you stronger while only fractionally heavier.

One exercise that has helped numerous athletes with strength and grip strength and inhibiting nervous system blocks is the deadlift. If you can lift 200kg on a deadlift, imagine how easy your body weight will be to lift, especially once you transfer that strength into your skills in climbing..

these two things arent independent but muscle growth can be limited while increasing your strength.

Size largely relies on having a high nutrient intake while working exercises at high volume (e.g. lots of moderately intense exercise). This usually leads to a "pump" by causing your body to load water into the muscles.

Strength can be achieved through low repetitions and heavy/intense loads. This helps inhibit your nervous system's natural strength blocking abilities, making you stronger by telling your body that you're stronger. It also helps increase the number of protein filaments in muscles, making you stronger while only fractionally heavier.

One exercise that has helped numerous athletes with strength and grip strength and inhibiting nervous system blocks is the deadlift. If you can lift 200kg on a deadlift, imagine how easy your body weight will be to lift, especially once you transfer that strength into your skills in climbing..

Yep, deadlifts are a component of almost all 5.13+ climbers' training programs.

climbers are naturally directed towards climbing rather than mainstream sports for a variety of reasons and as such many of the great climbing legends had only to things that made them great: Passion and talent. That kept them going and developed the pretty complex skills involved in climbing and rarely did any conditioning for "events" but for the love of the climb.

Strength and conditioning work is a pretty recent field and although i agree that skill learning is the best thing to reach 5.13+, having that extra strength gives you a 2% advantage on other climbers on the same skill level. Starting out i would rather be weak and skinny so i learn decent technique and then and the strength later to help me perform better.

Furthermore if the OP is having issues with his forearm strength and tendons then why not deadlift. it has a pretty good record of improving grips and could certainly help if he's having issues, better than a "Climb more till you get a serious injury cos you didnt try any prehab work or made progress slower cos you didnt sort out the loose link in your chain" response.

Furthermore if the OP is having issues with his forearm strength and tendons then why not deadlift. it has a pretty good record of improving grips and could certainly help if he's having issues, better than a "Climb more till you get a serious injury cos you didnt try any prehab work or made progress slower cos you didnt sort out the loose link in your chain" response.

Why not deadlift? Because it's freakin BORING! I can't think of anything I want to do less than going to a gym and picking up a huge honking barbell. I admire those who can do it, and who are motivated to do it, but I will pick almost any other route to strength than this one . . .

again, it's related to that study on climbers i posted - most of us are thrill seeking, therefore we dont enjoy traditional strength training because theres not enough excitement. it's why i prefer olympic lifts - cos i know that if i dont have perfect technique a heavy load of iron will come crashing down on my head.

There are alternatives to iron but none has a superior proven track record for making people stronger quickly. Alternative are things like strongman type training which people tend to like more - pick up a heavy barrell or thick handled keg or log and walk with it. It's outdoor, more challenging if you're competing with a friend in a race during training.

And if you're doing it and dont enjoy it, just set challenges like you do with routes or problems e.g. this session i'm going to lift this, learn this technique, work on hand stands, muscle ups etc. SMARTER goals = better outcomes. think of lifting as medicine - it might not taste good but it'll make you feel better.

I have been having issues, from time to time where I feel like my forearm muscles,the most frequently used ones in climbing, feel as if they are bulging o are two large for my tendons or arms to hold in and it sorta limits my climbing. I don't know too much about the connection with tendons and muscles but;

Is this something I can prevent?

Is it just something I'm overthinking and part of the training and growing of muscle part of climbing?

Thank you for your time.

Yeah, it sure sounds like you're getting pumped. This is common, not just in climbing, but in any physical activity done to fatigue.

Oh, and deadlifts are among the dumbest excercise I could think of to try to gain climbing-specific strength or endurance.

Strength and conditioning work is a pretty recent field and although i agree that skill learning is the best thing to reach 5.13+, having that extra strength gives you a 2% advantage on other climbers on the same skill level.

how about for general grip strength and endurance? heck even farmers walks do the trick. or dead hangs off thick bars.

oh but who needs general grip strength and endurance? EVERYTHING should be specific and go against all other areas of strength and conditioning research for other physical activities which suggest a high general strength provides a good base of strength from which to build specific strength off, because climbing is unique and magic and "rad".

i know this is a fringe activity but i didnt realise how fringe those involved are to other physical activities. damn. i apologise. i'll just stop posting.